WORDS AND PHOTOS: ROB ERICKSON

Hobo Tags is a documentation of caricatures and markings made by hobos on their boxcar journeys. Usually drawn with a grease stick, chalk, or soapstone, these markings consist of a cartoon or icon of some sort, an assumed name, and the date it was made. Sometimes additional cryptic information will also adorn them. The hobo’s tag is discreet in comparison to the visibility of spray-painted graffiti commonly seen on trains. They occupy roughly an 18" sq. or smaller area. The tags are off-the-cuff, but precise and packed with information despite their simplicity – a breadcrumb trail of dates, geography, and communication shared by those riding the rails.